A Peoples Hearing on Racism and Police Violence: Full Transcript of 2011 Tribunal

Two years ago, an important tribunal was held in Oakland concerning racism and police violence. The full transcript of the tribunal is now available:

A People’s Hearing on Racism and Police Violence was an event organized at a grassroots level by community members and political organizers, offering space for the public to share testimony about the racism and violence of law enforcement. It was a chance to hear from witnesses and victims, their friends and family members, activists, organizers, and others. Giving a platform to individual and shared experiences of repression, we worked – and continue to do so – to indict the imperialist, white supremacist and capitalist power structures, and to document the people’s case throughout our communities.

We, as organizers, are not lost on the fact that this transcription is being published on the two year anniversary of the police murder of Raheim Brown. We were lucky to have members of Raheim’s family as guests, sharing the story of their trauma even before they buried their son and brother. Two years later, responsibility has not been taken for Raheim Brown’s death. There has been no financial settlement, no criminal charges, and police officers (including the officer who fired the deadly shots) continue to patrol Oakland elementary, middle and high schools. In that time, police officers in Oakland have continued to kill, taking the lives of numerous Black and Brown young.

We’re publishing this because the survivors and witnesses of police violence and state repression do not have to be isolated. When experiences are shared, we can gain a significant edge in the struggle for justice. A People’s Hearing on Racism and Police Violence, which took place on February 19th and 20th of 2011, was a move toward the offensive, linking many sides of the repressive state in order to strengthen our movements against it.